2025 Big Bets Report: Bettor Wins $70k via Early Cash Out of 9-Leg Parlay

Patrick Everson

FOX Sports Betting Analyst

Bettors were treated to a wild weekend in NFL Week 3 odds and college football Week 4 odds.

There were upsets and crazy covers and walk-off field-goal wins and field-goal blocks run back for touchdowns and multiple pick-sixes.

In times like those, it pays to know when to quit while you’re ahead. That was certainly the case for a Fanatics Sportsbook customer, who made a prudent business decision and turned $1,000 into more than $70,000.

More on that bet, major wagers and other notable plays in NFL and college football betting.

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Parlay Partay

Last week at Fanatics, sometime before the Miami Dolphins vs. Buffalo Bills Thursday night game, a bettor put together a $1,000 nine-leg parlay. The ticket was composed mostly of NFL moneyline plays — meaning the teams selected just needed to win their games — along with a little MLB and some tennis.

The Bills were the biggest favorite on that parlay, at -750. Buffalo got all it could handle before prevailing 31-21. The Washington Commanders had little trouble with the Las Vegas Raiders, winning 41-24. Ditto for the Indianapolis Colts, 41-20 winners over the Tennessee Titans.

But the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers made things much more interesting. Pittsburgh needed a late touchdown to beat New England 21-14.

Tampa Bay, facing the New York Jets, was in one of those aforementioned wild endings. The Jets blocked a field goal and returned it for a touchdown to take a 27-26 lead with 1:49 remaining. But the Bucs rebounded with a successful field-goal drive to win 29-27.

As all that was unfolding Sunday, Fanatics was increasing its cash-out offer to the bettor, who had eight legs in. The customer could ride it out at +18314 odds — about 183/1 — and hope the Green Bay Packers won, for a profit of $183,140. Or take the cash-out for $70,378.70.

Wisely, the bettor took the cash-out. Green Bay, a 7.5-point road favorite, lost 13-10 on a final-second 55-yard field goal.

Timing is everything, right?

Moneyline Messes

Speaking of the Packers, a Caesars Sports customer put $39,000 on Green Bay moneyline -440, to potentially win $8,863.64. It was a seemingly safe bet, with the Packers a strong favorite.

And although it’s one of those bet-a-lot-to-win-a-little wagers (relatively speaking), you can’t argue with an ROI of 22%.

But it’s only a return on investment if you actually get a return on investment.

With the Packers’ stunning 13-10 loss, the wager was a $39,000 donation to the house.

A couple other moneyline plays on big favorites met a similar fate over the weekend. On Saturday at DraftKings Sportsbook, a bettor put $8,000 on Clemson moneyline -850 vs. Syracuse, to win a modest $940.80.

A -850 favorite is a huge favorite. Generally a shoo-in. But Syracuse was having none of it, rolling to a 34-21 road upset.

On the flip side, a DraftKings customer dropped $50,000 on a moneyline underdog Saturday. The bettor took Illinois +210 to upset Indiana.

It’s not as if the Fighting Illini were a long shot. They entered the game ranked ninth in the nation, notably higher than No. 19 Indiana. So it was a potentially good opportunity to win $105,000 (total payout $155,000).

But Indiana took Illinois to the proverbial woodshed, posting a 63-10 blowout.

And on the flip-flip side, an Eagles backer got a huge sweat and a sizable win at Caesars Sports. The customer plunked down $160,000 on Philly moneyline -195 vs. the Los Angeles Rams.

L.A. led 26-7 early in the third quarter. Philadelphia rallied to take a 27-26 lead, but was still in position to lose when the Rams lined up for a 44-yard field goal in the final seconds.

Then 336-pound nose tackle Jordan Davis blocked the kick and returned it 61 yards for a touchdown.

Eagles 33, Rams 26. And the bettor pocketed $82,051 in profit (total payout $242,051).

Parlay Partay, Part II

A high-roller at Hard Rock Bet decided to put down a massive $545,000 on a five-leg parlay of heavy favorites. The ticket:

Vanderbilt moneyline -5000 vs. Georgia State.
Notre Dame moneyline -5000 vs. Purdue.
Bills-Dolphins alternate total Over 38.5 (-625).
Bills alternate spread -3 (-476) vs. Dolphins
Saquon Barkley alternate rushing yards total Over 24.5 (-10000).

As Vandy’s odds would suggest, the Commodores rolled 70-21. Ditto for Notre Dame, which won 56-30.

In Bills-Dolphins, the standard total for the Thursday night game was 49.5/50.5. So although Buffalo’s 28-21 win didn’t clear those numbers, it easily eclipsed the alternate 38.5.

And on the standard point spread, the Bills were 11.5-point home favorites. They didn’t beat that spread, but easily beat the -3 alternate number.

Finally, while Barkley didn’t have a big ground game in the Eagles’ 33-26 victory, he still easily cleared 24.5 yards, finishing with 46 yards.

With five hefty favorites, the profit on that half-a-million-dollar-plus bet was $262,036 (total payout $807,036).

Here’s Hoping You Had It

Defensive touchdowns certainly happen, but not with regularity.

Getting one in a game is a nice bonus. Getting two is a huge deal.

At FanDuel Sportsbook, the Minnesota Vikings were +8000 to score two defensive touchdowns Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. Not only did the Vikes get two, but both came from the same player.

Isaiah Rodgers had an 87-yard pick-six in the first quarter, followed by a 66-yard scoop-and-score off a fumble in the second quarter of Minnesota’s 48-10 rout.

If you’d just put 10 bucks on that prop bet, then you’d be sitting on $800 profit. A hundred bucks down would’ve netted $8,000.

Pinpoint Accuracy

You don’t need to win five or six figures to have cause for celebration. I certainly don’t, anyway.

Nor does a FanDuel Sportsbook customer who put a mere $15 on this interesting prop bet: Correct final score of Thursday’s Dolphins-Bills clash.

It was a tight game throughout, with Miami showing a lot of fight. In fact, down 28-21, the Dolphins drove to the Bills’ 21-yard line, poised to score a TD and tie it up, which would’ve ruined that wager.

But Tua Tagovailoa then threw an interception with 3:06 remaining. Buffalo’s ensuing drive ended with a field goal, sealing the 31-21 win.

At hefty odds of +12500 (125/1), that wrapped up a huge ROI win of $1,875 for the bettor.

Much as I enjoy those bet-a-little-to-win-a-lot wagers, I still have to finish with …

I Like Big Bets and I Cannot Lie

Big money was flying around in Las Vegas and across the country on NFL Week 3 odds and college football Week 4 odds.

The largest bet of all landed at DraftKings. A customer put a whopping $277,731.30 (yes, 30 cents too) on Bengals-Vikings total Over 41.5 (-115).

It proved to be the no-sweat bet of the week. Minnesota’s output alone exceeded the total, as the Vikings rolled 48-10, giving the bettor a lofty win of $241,505.48 (total payout $519,236.78).

There was also that $160,000 Eagles moneyline bet mentioned above. Other notable major wagers in the NFL, including three six-figure Texans plays that all went wrong:

$218,000 Texans +105 (-109) vs. Jaguars (Caesars). That was an expensive lesson learned. The game was tied at 10 well into the fourth quarter, but Houston gave up a late TD and lost 17-10.
$112,000 Texans +1.5 vs. Jaguars (Caesars). See previous bet.
$100,000 Texans moneyline +105 vs. Jaguars (DraftKings). Yet another donation to the house on Houston.
$50,000 Cowboys moneyline -125 vs. Bears (DraftKings). Dallas got shut out in the second half, losing 31-14.
$50,000 Dolphins +12 vs. Bills (DraftKings). Miami made a game of it, but lost 31-21.

As if all those gut punches weren’t enough, this is easily the bad beat of the week: A $75,000 bet on Rams +4.5 vs. the Eagles, at Caesars Sports.

L.A. blew all of a 26-7 lead, trailing 27-26 in the final minutes. But the Rams were still covering as 4.5-point underdogs, so a $68,181 win was still in sight for the bettor.

That is, until place-kicker Josh Karty’s 44-yard field goal was blocked and returned for a touchdown as time expired.

Eagles 33, Rams 26.

Oof.

Which makes this a good time to remind you that we’re talking about sports betting. It’s gambling. So please keep it reasonable. Never bet more than you can afford to lose.

Patrick Everson is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and senior reporter for VegasInsider.com. He is a distinguished journalist in the national sports betting space. He’s based in Las Vegas, where he enjoys golfing in 110-degree heat. Follow him on Twitter: @PatrickE_Vegas.

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